miniboro12

I was fortunate enough to catch this fine short at a NewFilmmakers event in Downtown Los Angeles. Talk about great direction and execution (note the perfect timing of the stopped cart in the final scene). The dialogue is also clever and rewards the audience with a twist at the brilliant conclusion. I would stop there, but IMDb requires a bit more to suffice as a review. I'll add that the acting is strong, particularly for such a dialogue-driven piece. The themes of this piece may be articulated as 'unity', 'what fosters love', and 'identity'. The writer/director's voice is ever-present, and that's a good thing. I also checked out this film on Vimeo where it is available.

Director Aaref Rodriguez has created a groundbreaking film with 'Avenues. In a world where heart is truth and apologies are a sign of weakness, Saul (a consistently intense and unsparingly honest Hector Atreyu Ruiz) is released from prison into the scalding heat of a broken area of Los Angeles. Saul's tests range from overcoming his shame to setting goals with his challenging and embarrassingly attractive parole officer (a terrific Tracey Heggins). The characters in this film have no delusions of immortality, yet live there lives to the max.

I shared my excitement with the director after the premiere, telling him I would love to act in a feature like his. Aaref thanked me with a hug.